Spidey & The Thing -- Together!

I'd forgotten how good this one was, until I reread it recently.
Gerry Conway's plot doesn't stand up to too much scrutiny, The Mad Thinker getting involved for no real reason, and Gil Kane ( or maybe Mike Esposito ) haven't quite got Ben on model as yet, but none of that matters. What this story is really about is The Puppet Master & Alicia.
For the first time, we properly learn their story, and see him as the weak man he sees himself, knowing that, no matter how much he may want to, he's incapable of changing.
It's a great bit of writing and characterization, and elevates what would've been just an average punch em' up issue.

Spidey & The Scarlet Witch In Salem

We've been talking a little bit about Bill Mantlo in the comments section lately, and the pros and cons of his work. Although I'll admit that Bill's fill-ins for other writers were nearly always disappointing, I maintain he did have his moments. Micronauts and Rom are the obvious ones, but I also still believe The Sword In The Star could've been one of the seminal fantasy series of the Bronze Age, if it'd been given the chance.
And there's this little run in Marvel Team-Up too, where Spidey borrows Doc Doom's time machine, and goes gallivanting around the Salem witch trials, along with a host of obligatory guest stars.
It does have it's faults. The Killraven and Deathlok issues at the end, with the webbed wonder trying to get home to 1975, are lacklustre, and Sal Buscema & Mike Esposito always, and inexplicably, made for a slightly bland art team to my eyes, but the main plot really did keep me and my buddies on the edges of our seats for months.
Even Wanda, a character I've always found extremely unlikeable, is interesting here, and with her, Spidey & Vision about to get lynched at the end, I defy anyone not to want to know what happens next.

Have Yourself A Sandman Little Christmas!

And here's a cast-iron Christmas Classic from the debut issue of Team-Up. If you've never read this one, it's got Spidey being a little too keen to kick ass instead of spending Christmas Eve with Gwen Stacy, The Torch wearing one of Fred from Scooby-Doo's old outfits and being all Scroogey 'cos Crystal's dumped him, and The Sandman...well, I won't spoil the surprise, but even super villains need a break at Yuletide.